Russia’s former defence minister and a leading general have been slapped with arrest warrants over attacks on civilian targets amounting to war crimes in Ukraine by a top international court.
Sergei Shoigu, the former Russian defence minister, and General Valery Gerasimov are suspected of having committed war crimes and crimes against humanity for directing attacks against civilians and civilian objects in Ukraine, The Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC) said.
Judges had found there were “reasonable grounds to believe that the two suspects bear responsibility for missile strikes carried out by the Russian armed forces against the Ukrainian electric infrastructure from at least 10 October 2022 until at least 9 March 2023”, the ICC said.
Ukraine’s presidential chief of staff applauded the ICC’s move, saying it was “an important decision”. Russia, which is not a member of the court, has denied targeting civilians.
This comes as Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov, Moscow’s arms control point person, warned that if the West underestimated the resolve of Russia – a major nuclear power – it could lead to “tragic and fatal” consequences.
Key points
ICC issues arrest warrants for two senior Russian officials
Russian official warns of ‘tragic and fatal’ consequences
Russian pressure heats up on frontline as Western aid trickles in
Zelensky replaces top military commander after public rebuke
Russia vows retaliation against US over Crimea strike
Ukraine starts EU accession talks
Top court issues arrest warrants for senior Russian officials
05:12 , Arpan Rai
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for two senior Russian officials, accusing them of overseeing war crimes against civilians during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Former Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu, a close ally of Vladimir Putin, and military chief General Valery Gerasimov have been accused of “directing attacks at civilian objects”, “causing excessive incidental harm to civilians or damage to civilian objects”, and perpetrating the crime against humanity of “inhumane acts”.
The statement from the ICC added that there are “reasonable grounds to believe that the two suspects bear responsibility for missile strikes carried out by the Russian armed forces against the Ukrainian electric infrastructure from at least 10 October 2022 until at least 9 March 2023”.
Tom Watling reports:
Top international court issues arrest warrants for senior Russian officials
Russia and Ukraine each return 90 prisoners of war
05:40 , Arpan Rai
Russia and Ukraine each handed back 90 prisoners of war yesterday in the latest of several periodic swaps in their 28-month-old conflict, with the United Arab Emirates overseeing the exchange as an intermediary.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said most of the freed servicemen were privates and sergeants, and the swap was another step in the process of bringing all detainees home.
“We will return all others in the same way,” he said in his nightly video address. “We are seeking the truth about everyone – where a person is, in what condition, what is needed for their return.”
He thanked the UAE for facilitating the exchange and pledged to press on with efforts to bring home those still being held.
The last exchange took place on 31 May, when each side handed over 75 prisoners of war, also with the UAE acting as a go-between. That was the first exchange in nearly four months.
The Russian defence ministry, in a posting on the Telegram messaging app, said: “As a result of negotiations, 90 Russian prisoners of war who risked death in captivity are being returned from areas under Kyiv’s control.”
It said the Russian prisoners were able to return home “with the United Arab Emirates participating as an intermediary in a humanitarian capacity”.
The freed Russian prisoners were being flown to Moscow, where they would undergo medical checks, the ministry said.
Russia said prisoners brought home yesterday had faced mortal danger in captivity.
Ukraine said returnees had included soldiers who had defended the Azovstal steel mill in a three-month siege in 2022 and others taken prisoner when Russian forces briefly seized the defunct Chornobyl nuclear power station.
The UAE said its action as a go-between had been made possible by maintaining good contacts with both sides.
Trump military aides say they’ve given him detailed plan to pressure Ukraine into peace talks with Putin
05:00 , Tom Watling
Trump military aides give him plan to pressure Ukraine into peace talks with Putin
Russian official warns of ‘tragic and fatal’ consequences
04:43 , Arpan Rai
If the West underestimated the resolve of Russia – a major nuclear power – it could lead to “tragic and fatal” consequences, warned deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov, Moscow’s arms control point person.
Mr Ryabkov said the West underestimated “Russia’s readiness to stand up for itself and ensure its own interests in any situation”. “I don’t even want to assume that this underestimation could become tragic and fatal,” he said.
He said Russia had the resources to convey signals to the West in the field of nuclear deterrence but there was a danger the West could make a mistake.
“There is a danger, it cannot be underestimated, that their side may make a mistake. We will try not to,” he said. “Our common task is to prevent the world and the multipolar world, above all, from sliding into nuclear chaos,” Mr Ryabkov said.
In a 2023 call with Russia’s Sergei Shoigu, US defence secretary Lloyd Austin had pointed to risky behaviour by Russian fighter pilots that caused a US drone to crash in the Black Sea near Ukraine.
Russian pressure heats up on frontline as Western aid trickles in
04:33 , Arpan Rai
Relentless Russian attacks on Ukrainian positions defending the strategically important eastern town of Chasiv Yar are disrupting troop rotations and the delivery of some supplies, soldiers in the area say.
For Ukrainian soldiers defending the eastern Donetsk region, the Russian ground assaults and aerial barrages allow little respite after more than two years of war.
“We work, you could say, without rest,” said a platoon commander who, in line with his brigade’s rules, identified himself only by his first name, Oleksandr. “So no two days are alike. You always need to be ready to work day and night,” he said on Monday.
Russian troops are seeking to press their advantage in troop numbers and weaponry before Ukrainian forces are bulked up by promised new Western military aid that is already trickling to the front line, analysts say.
The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, said it will take time for the effects of the new Western weaponry to be felt on the front line. Meanwhile, it said, “Russian forces are attempting to make tactically and operationally significant gains” before it arrives.
Elsewhere, the Kremlin’s forces kept up their barrages of civilian infrastructure with three aerial strikes in the northeastern Kharkiv region Tuesday, local officials said, though nobody was injured.
Russia has pounded Kharkiv in recent months, apparently to draw some Ukrainian forces away from the defense of Donetsk while trying to create a buffer zone to prevent cross-border Ukrainian attacks. Russian launched 42 glide bombs against the Kharkiv region in the previous 24 hours, authorities said yesterday.
US, Russia defence chiefs speak amid Crimea attack tensions
04:07 , Arpan Rai
The US and Russian defence chiefs spoke by telephone in rare communication between the two powers, during which the Russian defence chief warned of escalating dangers.
The two sides gave widely different accounts of the conversation wherein Russian defence chief Andrei Belousov cautioned Washington against arming Ukraine.
The Pentagon said Mr Austin and Mr Belousov discussed the importance of open lines of communication.
Mr Austin initiated the conversation and it was the first such call since March 2023, Pentagon spokesperson Air Force Major General Patrick Ryder told reporters.
Russia’s defence ministry, however, said that Mr Belousov warned Mr Austin of the dangers. “AR Belousov pointed to the danger of further escalating the situation through continued supplies of American weapons to the Ukrainian armed forces,” the ministry statement said on Telegram.
This was the first call between US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and Russia’s new defence minister Andrei Belousov, who replaced Sergei Shoigu in May.
A Ukrainian author turned soldier has a stark warning for the West: ‘Be prepared for war with Russia’
04:00 , Tom Watling
Ukrainian author and soldier warns the West: ‘War is coming to you’
Has Russia just dropped a deadly new 3,000kg glide bomb in Ukraine?
03:00 , Tom Watling
Has Russia just dropped a deadly new 3,000kg glide bomb in Ukraine?
A year ago, Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin challenged the Kremlin with a mutiny
02:00 , Tom Watling
A year ago, Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin challenged the Kremlin with a mutiny
Ukraine may fire US-provided missiles deeper into Russia in self-defense, Pentagon says
01:00 , Tom Watling
Ukraine may fire US-provided missiles deeper into Russia in self-defense, Pentagon says
More Americans are ending up in Russian jails. Prospects for their release are unclear
Wednesday 26 June 2024 00:00 , Tom Watling
More Americans are ending up in Russian jails. Prospects for their release are unclear
Russian region of Dagestan holds a day of mourning after attacks kill 19 people
Tuesday 25 June 2024 23:00 , Tom Watling
Russian region of Dagestan holds a day of mourning after attacks kill 19 people
Trump military aides say they’ve given him detailed plan to pressure Ukraine into peace talks with Putin
Tuesday 25 June 2024 22:00 , Tom Watling
Trump military aides give him plan to pressure Ukraine into peace talks with Putin
Dagestan, in southern Russia, has a history of violence. Why does it keeps happening?
Tuesday 25 June 2024 21:00 , Tom Watling
Dagestan, in southern Russia, has a history of violence. Why does it keeps happening?
Thousands of Ukrainians mark pagan festival with bonfire jumping and air raid notifications
Tuesday 25 June 2024 20:00 , Tom Watling
Thousands of Ukrainians mark pagan festival with bonfire jumping and curfew
Shock new poll confirms Reform lead over Tories despite Farage’s Putin comments
Tuesday 25 June 2024 19:00 , Tom Watling
Shock new poll confirms Reform lead over Tories despite Farage’s Putin comments
Russia keeps up the front-line pressure before Ukraine receives a boost from Western military aid
Tuesday 25 June 2024 18:00 , Tom Watling
Russia keeps up the front-line pressure before Ukraine receives a boost from Western military aid
Ukraine’s kayakers get ready for Paris Olympics 2024
Tuesday 25 June 2024 17:30 , Tom Watling
Here we have some of the latest photos from the frontline in Ukraine
Tuesday 25 June 2024 17:00 , Tom Watling
Below we have some of the latest photos from the frontline city of Chasiv Yar in eastern Ukraine.
The city has become a flashpoint of the frontline as Russian forces try to seize the area, located on high ground.
We have some more detail from today’s EU meeting with Ukraine
Tuesday 25 June 2024 16:30 , Tom Watling
Below, we have some more details from the meeting in Luxembourg between Kyiv and European Union officials concerning the accession to the bloc of Ukraine.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, addressing the meeting in Luxembourg by video link, said the start of the talks was a historic moment and a significant step for both Kyiv and the EU towards “our shared great victory”.
“For our nation, the European Union signifies much more than a physical space,” he said. “It represents values and home.”
The meeting was more about symbolism than the nitty-gritty of negotiations, which will start in earnest only after the EU has screened reams of Ukrainian legislation to assess all the reforms needed to meet the bloc’s standards.
But by marking the start of talks with Ukraine, and with its neighbour Moldova later in the day, the EU signalled that both countries are on a path away from Russian influence and towards greater integration with the West.
“The future for Ukraine is for the Ukrainians to decide,” Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib, whose country currently holds the EU’s rotating presidency, told the meeting.
“The EU will continue to support the right of the Ukrainian people to choose their own destiny.”
The moment was poignant for many Ukrainians, who trace their current conflict with Moscow back to the Maidan uprising a decade ago, when protesters toppled a pro-Russian president who reneged on a pledge to develop closer ties with the EU.
Zelensky celebrates start of Ukraine’s EU accession as dream come true
Tuesday 25 June 2024 16:00 , Tom Watling
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has celebrated his country’s first day of talks to finally become a member of the European Union, describing it as a “dream that has become a reality”.
“When we signed the application for EU membership on the fifth day of the full-scale war, many said it was nothing but a dream. But we made this dream a reality,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
He praised the “determination of our people, our nation … The determination that has worked, that has not failed Ukraine and all of Europe, and that proves that all Ukrainians together, all Europeans together, are capable of realising even the biggest dreams – capable of winning”.
When we signed the application for EU membership on the fifth day of the full-scale war, many said it was nothing but a dream. But we made this dream a reality. We achieved this, persuaded, and dispelled every doubt. In June 2022, Ukraine’s candidate status was approved despite… pic.twitter.com/MnZa1Duynp
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 25, 2024
Ukraine begins talks to join EU
Tuesday 25 June 2024 15:35 , Tom Watling
Ukrainian officials have begun their meeting with European Union ministers over the country’s path to accession to the bloc.
The European commissioner for neighbourhood and enlargement, Oliver Varhelyi, was pictured this afternoon in Luxembourg alongside Ukraine’s deputy prime minister for European affairs Olha Stefanishyna and Belgium’s foreign affairs minister Hadja Lahbib ahead of the meeting.
The officials are now taking part in the Conference on Accession of Ukraine to the European Union.
The meeting follows a decision by the European Council last December to open accession negotiations with Ukraine.
The bloc is expected to present to Ukraine a general Negotiating Framework, which establishes the guidelines and principles for the accession negotiations with Ukraine, following the approval of the General EU position by the Council on 21 June 2024.
Ukraine’s PM says EU membership talks are step towards ‘shared victory’
Tuesday 25 June 2024 15:10 , Tom Watling
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said that Tuesday’s start of European Union accession talks in Luxembourg was a significant step towards a “shared victory”.
Who is Russian army chief Valery Gerasimov?
Tuesday 25 June 2024 15:00 , Tom Watling
Russia’s army chief Valery Gerasimov has been handed an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court (ICC), who allege that he bears responsibility for war crimes.
Below, you can read a profile of the general, once regarded as a pioneer of hybrid warfare but now seen as merely a puppet of Putin’s personalistic authoritarian regime.
Who is Russian army chief Valery Gerasimov? Top soldier turned Putin’s fall guy
Zelensky: We look forward to more ICC arrest warrants
Tuesday 25 June 2024 14:55 , Tom Watling
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said he “looks forward” to more Russian officials being accused of war crimes after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued two more arrest warrants for senior Kremlin officials.
Earlier, we reported that former defence minister Sergei Shoigu and army chief Valery Gerasimov have been accused by the ICC of “crimes against humanity” and “causing excessive incidental harm to civilians”, accusations that they deny.
In a message on X, formerly Twitter, Mr Zelensky wrote that he “welcomed” the arrests and that Ukraine “hopes to see them behind bars”.
He added: “ We look forward to more arrest warrants in order to deprive Russia of its sense of impunity. The feeling that has fueled Russian crimes for decades. Accountability is the only way to put a stop to them.”
You can read his full comment below.
I welcome today’s arrest warrants issued by @IntlCrimCourt for two key figures in Russian military leadership.
Both are accused of committing heinous crimes against civilians in Ukraine during Russia’s reckless bombing of Ukrainian critical civilian infrastructure. These…
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 25, 2024
Zelensky orders purge of Ukraine’s state guard in wake of alleged assassination plots
Tuesday 25 June 2024 14:30 , Tom Watling
Zelensky orders purge of Ukraine’s state guard after alleged assassination plots
We have some photos from the frontline in Ukraine
Tuesday 25 June 2024 14:00 , Tom Watling
Below we have some photos from the frontline in Ukraine.
Earlier, we reported that after months of “shell hunger”, the result of a delayed $61 billion (£48 bn) US military package, Ukrainian soldiers say they now have better access to vital artillery with which to combat the Russian forces.
A Ukrainian author turned soldier has a stark warning for the West: ‘Be prepared for war with Russia’
Tuesday 25 June 2024 13:30 , Tom Watling
Ukrainian author and soldier warns the West: ‘War is coming to you’
Russia says ICC’s Shoigu arrest warrant is part of hybrid war against Moscow, Tass says
Tuesday 25 June 2024 13:15 , Tom Watling
Russia‘s Security Council has said that the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for former defence minister Sergei Shoigu was part of a hybrid war against Moscow, the state-run news agency Tass has reported.
The ICC issued arrest warrants for Shoigu, who is secretary of the Security Council, and leading Russian general Valery Gerasimov on Tuesday for alleged crimes committed during Russia‘s invasion of Ukraine.
Tuesday 25 June 2024 12:56 , Tom Watling
A top Ukrainian presidential official said the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruling on Russian violations in occupied Crimea was “a great achievement” of international jurisprudence.
“Ukraine has become closer to restoring justice,” Iryna Mudra, deputy head of the president’s office, said on X.
The decision of @ECHR_CEDH “🇺🇦 v. 🇷🇺 (Crimea case)” is a great achievement of international jurisprudence. For the first time, the #ECHR recognized the responsibility of the 🇷🇺for large-scale violations of human rights in Crimea. 🇺🇦has become closer to restoring justice. pic.twitter.com/65XNBx8Y4p
— Iryna Mudra (@IrynaRMudra) June 25, 2024
Arrest warrants
Tuesday 25 June 2024 12:54 , Chris Stevenson
More now on those arrest warrants:The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for two senior Russian officials, accusing them of overseeing war crimes against civilians during Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Former Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu, a close ally of Vladimir Putin, and military chief Valery Gerasimov have been accused of “directing attacks at civilian objects”, “causing excessive incidental harm to civilians or damage to civilian objects” and perpetrating the crime against humanity of inhumane acts”.
The statement from the ICC added that there are “reasonable grounds to believe that the two suspects bear responsibility for missile strikes carried out by the Russian armed forces against the Ukrainian electric infrastructure from at least 10 October 2022 until at least 9 March 2023”.
They added that they believe that where strike targets may have qualified as military objectives at the time, the “expected incidental civilian harm and damage would have been clearly excessive to the anticipated military advantage”.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky’s top advisor, Andriy Yermak, labelled the move by the ICC as an “important decision”, adding that it was clear Shoigu and Gerasimov “bear individual responsibility”.
Top international court issues arrest warrants for senior Russian officials over alleged war crimes
Tuesday 25 June 2024 12:26 , Tom Watling
Trump military aides say they’ve given him detailed plan to pressure Ukraine into peace talks with Putin
Tuesday 25 June 2024 12:00 , Tom Watling
Trump military aides give him plan to pressure Ukraine into peace talks with Putin
ICC issues arrest warrants for two senior Russian officials
Tuesday 25 June 2024 11:56 , Tom Watling
The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for two senior Russian officials, accusing them of overseeing war crimes against civilians.
Former Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu, a close ally of Vladimir Putin, and military chief Valery Gerasimov have been accused of “directing attacks at civilian objects”, “causing excessive incidental harm to civilians or damage to civilian objects” and perpetrating the crime against humanity of inhumane acts”.
They are the fifth and sixth Russian officials to be handed an arrest warrant since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Putin is among those six.
At least 11 civilians killed in past 24 hours in Ukraine
Tuesday 25 June 2024 11:34 , Tom Watling
At least 11 civilians have been killed in the past 24 hours in Ukraine while an additional 87 have been injured, according to an open-source intelligence outfit.
The Conflict Intelligence Team, based in Georgia, reported there had been deaths in Ukraine’s northeast Kharkiv region, eastern Donetsk region and southern Kherson region.
All deaths were the result of Russian strikes or the detonation of anti-personnel mines.
First ammunition shipment from Czech initiative arrived in Ukraine, says PM
Tuesday 25 June 2024 11:10 , Tom Watling
The first shipment of ammunition from a Czech initiative has arrived in Ukraine, Prime Minister Petr Fiala said in a post on social media platform X on Tuesday.
The Czech Republic has led an effort to buy ammunition, with funding from NATO allies, to make up for shortage on the frontlines with Russia.
“The first shipment of ammunition from our initiative arrived in Ukraine some time ago,” Fiala said on X. “We are doing what it takes.”
The Czechs said in May that the first 50,000 to 100,000 artillery shells would reach Ukraine in June.
They said they so far had around 1.7 billion euros in payments or firm commitments from 15 donor countries, which was enough for half a million artillery rounds to be delivered to Ukraine by the end of the year.
About 20 countries have pledged to take part in the Czech initiative, but only five had delivered payments by the end of May: Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Portugal and Canada.
The first shipment of ammunition from our initiative arrived in Ukraine some time ago.
We are doing what it takes.
— Petr Fiala (@P_Fiala) June 25, 2024
A look at Ukraine’s underground schools
Tuesday 25 June 2024 10:45 , Tom Watling
The head of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky’s party has posted images of the country’s first underground school as the nation looks to ensure children can still partake of in-person education without the interruption of Russian missile attacks.
Olena Shuliak, head of the Servant of the People political party, wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that a second underground school is under construction in Zaporizhzhia. The first, in Kharkiv, is already operational.
“Missiles reach these regions faster than air raid alerts,” she wrote. “But children will have an opportunity to study in safety no matter what. And everyone should have this opportunity.”
Underground schools are the part of new reality in frontline 🇺🇦 cities. There is already one in Liubotyn, Kharkiv region, and one is under construction in Zaporizhzhia. Missiles reach these regions faster than air raid alerts. But children will have an opportunity to study in… pic.twitter.com/WvTE82rgdn
— Olena Shuliak (@OlenaShuliak) June 25, 2024
More Americans are ending up in Russian jails. Prospects for their release are unclear
Tuesday 25 June 2024 10:30 , Tom Watling
More Americans are ending up in Russian jails. Prospects for their release are unclear
Nigel Farage under fire for ‘cuddling up to the Kremlin’ as IFS accuses Reform of poisoning election debate
Tuesday 25 June 2024 10:00 , Tom Watling
Farage under fire for ‘cuddling up to Kremlin’ as Reform accused of poisoning debate
Ukraine and Moldova set to launch EU membership talks. It’s a dream come true for Ukraine’s leader
Tuesday 25 June 2024 09:34 , Tom Watling
Ukraine and Moldova set to launch EU membership talks. It’s a dream come true for Ukraine’s leader
Ukraine urges ‘strong’ decision from Nato at Washington summit
Tuesday 25 June 2024 09:23 , Tom Watling
Ukraine wants to see a “strong” decision taken at the Nato summit in Washington next month as Kyiv tries to advance its strategic goal of joining the military alliance, President Volodymyr Zelensky’s foreign policy adviser told Reuters.
Ihor Zhovkva, who spoke in an interview before travelling to Luxembourg for a European Union meeting that will formally launch accession talks for Ukraine, said that Kyiv wanted the Nato summit to end with concrete results.
“I think this summit deserves to have a strong decision, including on Ukraine. Because, I mean, if you’re having a lack of strong decisions on Ukraine, the summit will be useless,” he said in Kyiv late on Monday.
He did not specify what he thought such a decision would entail.
Mr Zelensky, who lobbied unsuccessfully for a political invitation to join the alliance at its summit in Vilnius last summer, has said that this year’s summit should resolve the matter of inviting Kyiv to join.
While Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg and Washington have both said they do not expect the alliance’s 32 members at the July 9-11 summit to invite wartime Kyiv to join, Mr Stoltenberg has said he hopes to show Ukraine is moving closer to membership.
Nigel Farage hits back at Boris Johnson as he defends Ukraine comments
Tuesday 25 June 2024 09:10 , Tom Watling
Nigel Farage hits back at Boris Johnson as he defends Ukraine comments
Ukraine starts EU accession talks
Tuesday 25 June 2024 08:54 , Tom Watling
Ukraine will start accession talks to the European Union today more than a decade after hundreds of thousands of protesters called for the country to join the bloc.
Ukrainian officials will meet with EU ministers later today in Luxembourg to officially begin the process of joining, though it will take years for the country to eventually become a member.
German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock highlighted the meeting as an “important signal”.
“[Vladimir] Putin wanted to annex Ukraine. Instead [the country] is now closer to the EU than ever before,” she said.
A decade ago, hundreds of thousands of pro-western demonstrators flocked to Ukraine’s capital to call for the country to join the bloc, in what became known as the “Maidan Revolution”, after the Russian-backed president Viktor Yanukovich pulled out of a closer association agreement with the EU.
He was later ousted after months of protests, before which Putin illegally annexed the Crimean peninsula and launched a war in Donbas, eastern Ukraine.
Zelensky replaces top military commander after public rebuke
Tuesday 25 June 2024 08:46 , Tom Watling
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has replaced a top military commander after a well-known soldier accused him of having “killed more Ukrainian soldiers than any Russian general”.
In his nightly video message, Mr Zelensky announced that Lt Gen Yuriy Sodol had been replaced by Brig Gen Andriy Hnatov.
He did not elaborate on why the replacement had been made, but Gen Sodol’s removal came shortly after Bohdan Krotevych, the leader of Ukraine’s highly-regarded Azov regiment, accused the general of causing significant military setbacks and major losses in personnel.
Writing on his Telegram channel on 23 June, Mr Krotevych said that he had written a letter to Ukraine’s state bureau of investigation (SBI) calling for an “an investigation into one military general who, in my opinion, killed more Ukrainian soldiers than any Russian general”.
Today, we achieved several significant milestones in our partnerships. Malawi joined the Peace Summit communiqué, increasing Africa’s representation in global efforts for peace. More countries and leaders supporting Ukraine means greater pressure on Russia to end its criminal… pic.twitter.com/f9cevMqGs4
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 24, 2024
Here are some of the latest photos from Ukraine
Tuesday 25 June 2024 08:30 , Tom Watling
Good morning.
Below are some of the latest photos coming out of Ukraine.
Fresh Western munitions satiate Ukrainian forces ‘shell hunger’
Tuesday 25 June 2024 08:19 , Tom Watling
Ukrainian troops trying to hold their ground on the eastern front in Donetsk region may still be outnumbered by Russian forces, but the “shell hunger” that plagued them for months as ammunitions started to run out is now behind them.
One unit in Donetsk region, the focus of Russian troops’ slow advance along the 1,000-km (600-mile) front, fired its M-109 self-propelled howitzer as needed — there were no further fears of running short of Western-supplied 155 mm shells.
“There was ‘shell hunger’. Ammunition was rationed quite severely. It had an impact on infantry, they (Russians) crept from all sides, it hurt the infantry men,” unit commander Vasyl, 46, told a Reuters TV reporter.
“Now, there is no more ‘shell hunger’ and we work well.”
Demand for 155 mm artillery rounds has soared since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, with Kyiv’s Western allies running down their own stockpiles as they rushed shells to Ukraine where thousands of rounds were needed every day.
Now a fresh influx of ammunition has begun arriving at units like Vasyl’s after the U.S. Congress ended months of delays and approved a $61 billion (£48 bn) aid package.
Dagestan, in southern Russia, has a history of violence. Why does it keeps happening?
Tuesday 25 June 2024 07:18 , Arpan Rai
Over the years, Russia’s southern republic of Dagestan, located in the North Caucasus region, has been beset by extremist violence. This weekend, there was more bloodshed.
Officials say five gunmen in the regional capital of Makhachkala and the city of Derbent opened fire at Orthodox churches and two synagogues, as well as a police post, killing at least 20 people before being slain by authorities.
A look at the volatile region:
Where is Dagestan?
Dagestan, which sits in the North Caucasus between Chechnya and the Caspian Sea, is known as one of Russia’s most diverse — but volatile — regions.
There are more than 30 recognised ethnic groups and 13 local languages granted special status alongside Russian.
It has been blighted by violence since the early 2000s, when militant insurgents taking part in separatist wars in neighboring Chechnya were pushed into the region as a result of pressure from Russian security forces and iron-fisted Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov.
Dagestan, in southern Russia, has a history of violence. Why does it keeps happening?
Volume of Western aid will not change Ukraine frontline situation until late July
Tuesday 25 June 2024 07:06 , Arpan Rai
The volume of Western military assistance reaching Ukraine will not be at a scale that can change the frontline dynamics till late July, Ukrainian Main Military Intelligence Directorate (GUR) Head Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov said in an interview.
He noted that the US and European weapons deliveries, including artillery ammunition, are arriving in Ukraine at a faster pace than several months ago but Ukrainian forces need a high volume of weapons and “there is a question of volume.”
“No Armageddon will emerge [on the frontline]” but that the frontline situation will remain difficult for at least one month, he told the Philadelphia Inquirer.
According to the Institute for the Study of War, the Russian forces are “attempting to make tactically and operationally significant gains before US military assistance arrives to Ukrainian forces at the frontline at scale, and that the initial arrival of Western-provided weaponry will take some time to have tactical to operational effect on the frontline”.
Washington ‘regrets’ loss of life in Crimea
Tuesday 25 June 2024 06:57 , Arpan Rai
Russia’s foreign ministry summoned US ambassador Lynne Tracy yesterday and told her Washington was “waging a hybrid war against Russia and has actually become a party to the conflict”.
“Retaliatory measures will definitely follow,” the ministry said.
Ms Tracy said Washington regretted any loss to civilian life, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters, adding that Washington provided weapons to Ukraine so it could defend its sovereign territory, including Crimea.
Pentagon spokesperson Major Charlie Dietz said that “Ukraine makes its own targeting decisions and conducts its own military operations.”
Russia vows retaliation against US over Crimea strike
Tuesday 25 June 2024 06:07 , Arpan Rai
The Kremlin pinned the blame on the United States for an attack on Crimea with US-supplied ATACMS missiles that killed at least four people and injured 151, and Moscow formally warned the U.S. ambassador that retaliation would follow.
“You should ask my colleagues in Europe, and above all in Washington, the press secretaries, why their governments are killing Russian children,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters. He has not acknowledged Russian strikes that have claimed the lives of more than 10,000 Ukrainian civilians in Russia’s invasion since February 2022. The death toll also includes more than 500 children.
“Retaliatory measures will definitely follow,” he said.
At least two children were killed in the attack on Sevastopol on Sunday, according to Russian officials. People were shown running from a beach near Sevastopol and some of the injured being carried off on sun loungers. Kyiv did not comment on the attack but denies targeting civilians.
Russia says nearly 30 Ukrainian drones destroyed overnight
Tuesday 25 June 2024 05:40 , Arpan Rai
At least 29 Ukrainian-launched drones have been drowned by Russia’s air defence systems in an overnight aerial assault, the Russian defence ministry claimed this morning.
“Air defence systems on duty intercepted and destroyed 29 UAVs over the territory of the Belgorod region and destroyed one UAV over the territory of the Voronezh region,” it claimed on Telegram channel, blaming “Kyiv regime”.
No immediate casualties have been reported so far.
Ukraine to begin EU membership talks along with Moldova
Tuesday 25 June 2024 05:05 , Arpan Rai
The European Union will open membership talks with Ukraine today, giving the country a political boost in the midst of its war against Russia’s invasion, although a long and tough road still lies ahead before it could join the bloc.
The ceremony in Luxembourg will be more about symbolism than the nitty-gritty of negotiations, which will start in earnest only after the EU has screened reams of Ukrainian legislation to assess all the reforms needed to meet the bloc’s standards.
Ihor Zhovkva, foreign policy adviser to president Volodymyr Zelensky, said it would give Ukrainians morale a big lift. “It is very important,” he told Reuters in an interview in Kyiv. “The path to full-fledged membership, which Ukraine deserves … is irreversible.”
By marking the start of talks with Ukraine, and with its neighbour Moldova later in the day, the EU is signalling that both countries are on a path away from Russian influence and towards greater integration with the West.
The moment will be poignant for many Ukrainians, who trace their current conflict with Moscow back to the Maidan uprising of 2014, when protesters toppled a pro-Russian president who reneged on a pledge to develop closer ties with the EU.
North Korea warns US of ‘new world war’ over support for Ukraine
Tuesday 25 June 2024 05:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Top North Korean military officials criticised the United States on Monday for its expanding military assistance to Ukraine and warned of a “new world war”.
North Korea‘s vice minister of defence, Kim Kang Il, said the U.S. sending an aircraft carrier to the Korean peninsula was a “very dangerous” show of force, leaving doors open for North Korea‘s “overwhelming, new demonstration of deterrence,” state media KCNA reported.
A nuclear-powered US aircraft carrier, the Theodore Roosevelt, arrived in the South Korean port city of Busan on Saturday to take part in joint military exercises later this month with the host nation and Japan, naval officials said.
Just days after Russian president Vladimir Putin’s visit to Pyongyang, Pak Jong Chon, one of North Korea‘s top military officials, said Moscow had the “right to opt for any kind of retaliatory strike” if Washington kept pushing Ukraine to a “proxy war” against Russia.
It could provoke a stronger response from Moscow, and a “new world war”, Pak said, according to KCNA.
Four people injured in Ukraine attacks on Russia’s Belgorod
Tuesday 25 June 2024 04:53 , Arpan Rai
Four people were injured and scores of buildings damaged in multiple attacks by Ukraine on the Belgorod region, the governor of the southern Russian region that borders Ukraine said today.
At least six Ukraine-launched drones were destroyed over the Yakovlevsky district in the Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of the region said on Telegram. Two people were injured there with shrapnel wounds, he added.
Another person was injured after a drone was downed over the city of Belgorod, which is the administrative centre of the Belgorod region, and another woman was injured in one of the region’s villages, Gladkov said.
He said that scores of buildings and cars across the region were damaged.
Zelensky orders purge of Ukraine’s state guard
Tuesday 25 June 2024 04:26 , Arpan Rai
Volodymyr Zelensky has ordered the new chief of Ukraine’s state guard service to purge its ranks after two of its officers were accused of plans to assassinate senior officials.
The state security service (SBU) said last month that it had caught two guard service colonels accused of cooperating with Russia to plot the assassination of the Ukrainian president, military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov and other officials.
Mr Zelensky introduced staff to the new head of Ukraine’s state guard, Colonel Oleksiy Morozov, on Monday and said his main task was to ensure that only those who see their future tied with Ukraine could join the agency.
He said on Telegram: “And, of course, the agency must be cleared of anyone who chooses not Ukraine for themselves or discredits the state guard service.” The guard service provides security for various governement officials.
Zelensky orders purge of Ukraine’s state guard after alleged assassination plots
US to send Ukraine $150m more in munitions to fight off Russia
Tuesday 25 June 2024 04:10 , Arpan Rai
The US is expected to announce an additional package of $150m in critically needed munitions to Ukraine today, two US officials said.
The upcoming shipment is expected to include munitions for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS. The air defence system is capable of firing the longer-range missiles from the Army Tactical Missile System, or ATACMS, which Russia has said would prompt retaliation and risk escalating the conflict. One of the US officials said they could not verify whether this aid package included ATACMS munitions, but said the aid did not include cluster munitions.
The package also includes anti-armour weapons, small arms and grenades and the highly sought-after 155 mm and 105 mm artillery rounds, among other support.
The continued flow of US munitions, which will be drawn from existing stockpiles, is intended to help Ukrainian forces repel intensified Russian attacks.
This comes at a time Moscow is accuses Ukraine of using US-provided munitions to strike inside Russia or Russian-held territory.
A U.S. envoy visits Hanoi days after Putin, saying US-Vietnam trust is at ‘all-time high’
Tuesday 25 June 2024 04:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
A senior U.S. diplomat held talks in Vietnam on Saturday and said that the trust between the two countries was at an “all-time high,” just days after Russian President Vladimir Putin‘s state visit to Hanoi.
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink insisted that his trip was unrelated to Putin’s visit on Thursday.
Vietnam had elevated the United States to its highest diplomatic status, comprehensive strategic partner, last year, putting it at the same level as China and Russia. The elevation of the U.S. ties suggested that Vietnam wanted to hedge its friendships as Western companies look to diversify their supply chains away from China.
A U.S. envoy visits Hanoi days after Putin, saying US-Vietnam trust is at ‘all-time high’
Ukrainians in Warsaw jump over a bonfire, float braids to celebrate solstice custom away from home
Tuesday 25 June 2024 03:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Ukrainians in Warsaw jumped over a bonfire and floated braids to honor the vital powers of water and fire on the Vistula River bank Saturday night, as they celebrated their solstice tradition of Ivan Kupalo Night away from war-torn home. Hundreds joined the event, most of them war refugees.
“We are doing this traditional thing here to keep up our culture which needs all our support now because Russia is trying to kill everything that is Ukrainian,” said Viktoria Pogrebniak, 29, of the Euromaidan-Warszawa social initiative of the Ukrainians that organized the festivities.
“We want the people who have left Ukraine to remember their tradition and to remember that they have a bond with Ukraine,” Pogrebniak told The Associated Press.
Ukrainians in Warsaw jump over a bonfire, float braids to celebrate solstice custom away from home
Thousands of Ukrainians mark pagan festival with bonfire jumping and air raid notifications
Tuesday 25 June 2024 02:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Despite war-time restrictions, Ukrainians marked midsummer with festivals that featured frenetic folk dancing, flower decoration and jumping over bonfires.
The festival of Ivana Kupala on Sunday was held as Ukrainians start their third summer at war, with Kyiv and other cities hit by regular blackouts and remaining under nightly curfew.
An hour’s drive south of the capital, several thousand joined the summer festival, many wearing shirts and dresses embroidered with traditional patterns.
Thousands of Ukrainians mark pagan festival with bonfire jumping and curfew
Ukraine has hit over 30 Russian oil refineries, depots, Zelensky says
Tuesday 25 June 2024 01:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday that Ukraine has hit more than 30 Russian oil processing and storage facilities.
The Ukrainian military has stepped up attacks on Russian oil infrastructure this year, seeking to disrupt oil supplies to the Russian army and curb Moscow’s revenues to finance its war against Ukraine.
“More than 30 oil refineries, terminals, and oil depots of the terrorist state have been hit,” Zelensky told officers of Special Operations Centre “A” of the State Security Service (SBU) involved in attacks.
He did not provide any additional details or give a time period. A video of his address was shared on his account on X.
Ukraine has been using its long-range drones, developed both by military intelligence and the SBU, for the strikes.
“For SBU drones, a distance of 1,500 km is no longer a problem,” Zelenskiy said, apparently referring to a May 9 strike when a major oil processing plant in the Bashkiria region was hit.
In the most recent attack on June 21, drones hit four refineries, including the Ilsky refinery, one of the main fuel producers in southern Russia.
EU backs using Russian asset profits for Ukraine, despite Hungarian objection, diplomats say
Tuesday 25 June 2024 00:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
The European Union has approved a plan to use a first tranche of profits from frozen Russian assets for military aid to Ukraine, getting around a Hungarian block, diplomats said on Monday.
Earlier in the day, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the bloc had found a way to use the funds to buy arms and other aid for Ukraine without needing Hungary’s consent.
Borrell said the first tranche of the profits of “around 1.4 billion euros” is expected to be available next week.
Has Russia just dropped a deadly new 3,000kg glide bomb in Ukraine?
Monday 24 June 2024 23:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
The multistorey building stands alone just off a main road. The houses around it are completely destroyed, razed to the ground by relentless Russian shelling, and the dirt road is scarred by shrapnel. All that can be heard is the sound of a bomb being dropped, followed seconds later by a mighty explosion.
The bomb smashes into the ground 10 metres from the building, opening up a huge crater before a swelling fireball engulfs the entire three floors. When the smoke eventually dissipates, the footage shows the building’s whole roof has been ripped off.
This, Russian military bloggers are claiming, is the first test of a 3000kg glide bomb, otherwise known as the Fab-3000, a modified munition that is packed with nearly a tonne and a half of explosives. Earlier versions of these explosives, which are Soviet-era munitions retrofitted with fixed wings and GPS navigation systems that extend their range beyond the reach of Ukrainian anti-air defences, appeared earlier this year. These were the Fab-500s and the Fab-1500s.
Has Russia just dropped a deadly new 3,000kg glide bomb in Ukraine?
A year ago, Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin challenged the Kremlin with a mutiny
Monday 24 June 2024 22:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
On a lazy summer weekend a year ago, Russia was jolted by the stunning news of an armed uprising. The swaggering chief of a Kremlin-sponsored mercenary army seized a military headquarters in the south and began marching toward Moscow to oust the Defense Ministry’s leaders, accusing them of starving his force of ammunition in Ukraine.
Yevgeny Prigozhin and his soldiers-for-hire called off their “march of justice” only hours later, but the rebellion dealt a blow to President Vladimir Putin, the most serious challenge to his rule in nearly a quarter-century in power.
Prigozhin’s motives are still hotly debated, and the suspicious crash of the private jet that killed him and his top lieutenants exactly two months after the rebellion remains mired in mystery.
A year ago, Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin challenged the Kremlin with a mutiny
Ukraine sends over 30 drones into Russia after bombing of Kharkiv leaves 3 dead and dozens injured
Monday 24 June 2024 21:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Russian authorities said more than 30 drones were shot down over the country’s western regions overnight into Sunday, just hours after a Russian bomb attack on Ukraine’s second largest city of Kharkiv killed three people and left dozens in hospitals.
One of the four aerial bombs hit a five-story residential building on Saturday afternoon, officials said. Regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said 41 people were still being treated for injuries.
In a video address following the attack, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged Ukraine’s partners to bolster its air defenses.
Ukraine sends over 30 drones into Russia after bombing of Kharkiv leaves 3 dead and dozens injured
Indian tech company with ties to government sanctioned by Japan for helping Russia evade sanctions
Monday 24 June 2024 20:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Japan has become the latest country to sanction an Indian tech company for its alleged role in helping Russia evade sanctions imposed due to its war in Ukraine.
The sanctions were part of trade restrictions, including asset freezes, against 11 entities in five countries, including China, Kazakhstan, UAE, and Uzbekistan, on Friday.
This is the first time Japan has imposed sanctions on an Indian company since 1998 and the first time for China-based firms in connection with the war in Ukraine.
Indian tech company with ties to government sanctioned by Japan over Russia sanctions
Russian region of Dagestan holds a day of mourning after attacks kill 19 people
Monday 24 June 2024 19:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Russia’s southern region of Dagestan held the first of three days of mourning Monday following a rampage by Islamic militants who killed 19 people, most of them police, and attacked houses of worship in apparently coordinated assaults in two cities.
Sunday’s violence was the latest that officials blamed on Islamic extremists in the predominantly Muslim region in the North Caucasus, as well as the deadliest in Russia since March, when gunmen opened fire at a concert in suburban Moscow, killing 145 people.
The March attack was claimed by an affiliate of the Islamic State group. but no one has stepped forward to take responsibility for Sunday’s attacks in Dagestan’s regional capital of Makhachkala and nearby Derbent, both adjacent to the Caspian Sea.
Russian region of Dagestan holds a day of mourning after attacks kill 19 people
Leader of NATO member Poland visits China
Monday 24 June 2024 18:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Polish President Andrzej Duda met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping Monday on a visit to Beijing that brought the head of state of a NATO member to a country that has backed Russia in its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
At the meeting at the Great Hall of the People accompanied with a full honor guard and 21-gun salute, Duda told Xi that relations between the former Russian-allied nation, which inspired democratic movements with its push for democracy, and China, which remains under single-party Communist Party rule, remain strong.
The Russia-Ukraine conflict was on the agenda for talks, but no remarks on the issue were delivered before journalists were ushered from the vast carpeted meeting room.
Leader of NATO member Poland visits China, expecting to talk to Xi about Ukraine
Thousands of Ukrainians mark pagan festival with bonfire jumping and air raid notifications
Monday 24 June 2024 17:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Despite war-time restrictions, Ukrainians marked midsummer with festivals that featured frenetic folk dancing, flower decoration and jumping over bonfires.
The festival of Ivana Kupala on Sunday was held as Ukrainians start their third summer at war, with Kyiv and other cities hit by regular blackouts and remaining under nightly curfew.
An hour’s drive south of the capital, several thousand joined the summer festival, many wearing shirts and dresses embroidered with traditional patterns.
Thousands of Ukrainians mark pagan festival with bonfire jumping and curfew
At least eight people dead after fire at Moscow former research building
Monday 24 June 2024 16:44 , Joe Middleton
Two people jumped to their death from the top floors of a burning eight-storey former Russian electronics research institute in Moscow on Monday.
At least six other people have died in the fire as people became trapped on the top floors and were unable to escape, the state-run TASS news agency reported.
One man was shown jumping from the upper floor of the building by the Baza Telegram channel. Another, with serious burns, fell from the upper floors, footage published by Shot Telegram channel showed.
It was not immediately clear what caused the fire.
Hungary seeking to challenge EU decision on frozen Russian assets
Monday 24 June 2024 16:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
A Hungarian legal team in Brussels is looking for ways of challenging an EU decision to use proceeds from frozen Russian assets by circumventing Budapest’s opposition, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on his Facebook page on Monday.
Earlier, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said the EU had found a way to use the proceeds from frozen Russian assets to buy arms for Ukraine despite hold-ups from Hungary.
Polish president says he hopes China can help bring peace in Ukraine
Monday 24 June 2024 15:38 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Polish President Andrzej Duda said on Monday during a visit to Beijing that he hoped China would help find a solution for peace in Ukraine that respects international law.
Diplomats told Reuters this month that China had been lobbying governments with an alternative peace plan for Ukraine.
“I presented our point of view on the security situation in Europe and the world, above all in our part of Europe,” Duda told reporters after a meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing.
“I hope that China will… support efforts to strive for a peaceful end to the war waged by Russia in Ukraine,” he said, adding that any such peace must respect international law and Ukraine‘s internationally recognised borders.
China and Russia proclaimed a “no limits” partnership just days before President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Russia‘s smaller neighbour. Beijing says it is neutral in the conflict and has not supplied Moscow with weapons or ammunition.
Xi told Duda that China supported all efforts to bring the war in Ukraine to a peaceful end and that China would continue to play a role in finding a political solution to the crisis, Chinese state television reported.
Russian vows response to new EU sanctions as it widens black list
Monday 24 June 2024 15:03 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Russia‘s foreign ministry reacted to a fresh wave of European Union sanctions on Monday by saying any unfriendly Western actions would be met with “the necessary response”.
The ministry called the sanctions illegal and said in a statement it had “significantly” expanded its black list of people barred from entering Russia. It provided no further details.
Earlier, EU countries adopted a 14th package of sanctions on Russia that aims to close some loopholes and hits Russia‘s gas exports for the first time.
Indian tech company with ties to government sanctioned by Japan for helping Russia evade sanctions
Monday 24 June 2024 14:28 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Japan has become the latest country to sanction an Indian tech company for its alleged role in helping Russia evade sanctions imposed due to its war in Ukraine.
The sanctions were part of trade restrictions, including asset freezes, against 11 entities in five countries, including China, Kazakhstan, UAE, and Uzbekistan, on Friday.
This is the first time Japan has imposed sanctions on an Indian company since 1998 and the first time for China-based firms in connection with the war in Ukraine.
Indian tech company with ties to government sanctioned by Japan over Russia sanctions
EU backs using Russian asset profits for Ukraine, despite Hungarian objection, diplomats say
Monday 24 June 2024 14:15 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
The European Union has approved a plan to use a first tranche of profits from frozen Russian assets for military aid to Ukraine, getting around a Hungarian block, diplomats said on Monday.
Earlier in the day, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the bloc had found a way to use the funds to buy arms and other aid for Ukraine without needing Hungary’s consent.
Borrell said the first tranche of the profits of “around 1.4 billion euros” is expected to be available next week.
Russia summons the American ambassador over a deadly attack that Moscow says used US-made missiles
Monday 24 June 2024 13:44 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the American ambassador on Monday to protest what it says was the use of U.S.-made advanced missiles in a Ukrainian attack on Russian-annexed Crimea that reportedly killed four people and wounded more than 150.
Washington “has effectively become a party” to the war on Ukraine’s side, the ministry said in a statement, adding, “Retaliatory measures will certainly follow.” It did not elaborate.
There was no immediate comment from U.S. or Ukrainian officials. The Associated Press could not independently verify Russia’s claims about the missiles used.
Russia summons the American ambassador over a deadly attack that Moscow says used US-made missiles
Russian missiles kill four and wound 34 in eastern town Pokrovsk, Ukraine says
Monday 24 June 2024 13:24 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Russian missiles killed at least four people and wounded 34 others, including two children, in the eastern Ukrainian town of Pokrovsk on Monday, the regional governor said.
“This is one of the largest enemy attacks on civilians recently,” Vadym Filashkin said on Telegram.
Images shared alongside his post showed one-story buildings with shattered windows, ruined rooftops and bricks and construction waste scattered around.
Filashkin said Russian troops launched two Iskander-M ballistic missiles at the town which is about 24 km (15 miles) from the front line. The attack destroyed one private house and damaged 16 more, he added.
One missile struck and then, half an hour later, a second, the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s office said in a statement. The attacks also damaged a gas pipeline and cars, it added.
In pictures: Burnt Derbent synagogue following after Dagestan attack
Monday 24 June 2024 12:54 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Sergei Melikov, the head of the Dagestan region, visits Derbent synagogue following an attack by gunmen and a fire.
Russia says U.S. programmed and guided missiles which struck Crimea
Monday 24 June 2024 12:28 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
The Russian foreign ministry said on Monday that missiles used in Sunday’s attack on Crimea had been programmed by United States specialists and guided based on intelligence data from U.S. satellites and a nearby U.S. reconnaissance drone.
The ministry earlier on Monday summoned the U.S. ambassador to tell her that Moscow blamed Kyiv and Washington equally for the deadly attack on the city of Sevastopol in Crimea.
North Korea warns US of ‘new world war’ over support for Ukraine
Monday 24 June 2024 11:53 , Joe Middleton
Top North Korean military officials criticised the United States on Monday for its expanding military assistance to Ukraine and warned of a “new world war”.
North Korea‘s vice minister of defence, Kim Kang Il, said the U.S. sending an aircraft carrier to the Korean peninsula was a “very dangerous” show of force, leaving doors open for North Korea‘s “overwhelming, new demonstration of deterrence,” state media KCNA reported.
A nuclear-powered US aircraft carrier, the Theodore Roosevelt, arrived in the South Korean port city of Busan on Saturday to take part in joint military exercises later this month with the host nation and Japan, naval officials said.
Just days after Russian president Vladimir Putin’s visit to Pyongyang, Pak Jong Chon, one of North Korea‘s top military officials, said Moscow had the “right to opt for any kind of retaliatory strike” if Washington kept pushing Ukraine to a “proxy war” against Russia.
It could provoke a stronger response from Moscow, and a “new world war”, Pak said, according to KCNA.
Farage accused of ‘playing into Putin’s hands’ as he doubles down on Ukraine invasion comments
Monday 24 June 2024 11:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer have led criticism of Nigel Farage after the Reform UK leader claimed that the West “provoked” Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
It did not stop Mr Farage from doubling down on his comments, originally made in a BBC Panorama interview which aired on Friday night, in a column piece on Saturday afternoon for the Daily Telegraph, claiming that he should “not be blamed for telling the truth about Putin’s war”.
Asked about the remarks during an election campaign visit in London on Saturday, prime minister Mr Sunak suggested Mr Farage was “emboldening Putin”.
Farage accused of ‘playing into Putin’s hands’ as he doubles down on Ukraine comments
Under curfew, Ukrainians mark midsummer with bonfire jumping at a festival with pagan roots
Monday 24 June 2024 10:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Despite war-time restrictions, Ukrainians marked midsummer with festivals that featured frenetic folk dancing, flower decoration and jumping over bonfires.
The festival of Ivana Kupala on Sunday was held as Ukrainians start their third summer at war, with Kyiv and other cities hit by regular blackouts and remaining under nightly curfew.
An hour’s drive south of the capital, several thousand joined the summer festival, many wearing shirts and dresses embroidered with traditional patterns.
Under curfew, Ukrainians mark midsummer with bonfire jumping at a festival with pagan roots
Three injured after Russian missile strike on Odesa
Monday 24 June 2024 10:15 , Joe Middleton
A Russian missile attack on the southern Ukrainian city of Odesa struck civilian infrastructure and injured at least three people, on Monday morning, regional governor Oleh Kiper said.
The attack damaged a storage facility where some 50 people were working, military and regional authorities said.
The air force said it had prevented one of two cruise missiles launched by Russia from reaching the target.
Mr Kiper said on the Telegram messaging app that two middle-aged men and a 19-year-old boy were taken to hospital.
The air force had warned the city’s residents of the threat of incoming missiles before the explosions sounded.
Odesa has been a frequent target of Russian forces in the 28-month-long full-scale invasion, with many attacks aimed at the city’s port facilities. Russia denies targeting civilians or civilian infrastructure.
With its new pact with North Korea, Russia raises the stakes with the West over Ukraine
Monday 24 June 2024 10:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Behind the smiles, the balloons and the red-carpet pageantry of President Vladimir Putin‘s visit to North Korea last week, a strong signal came through: In the spiraling confrontation with the U.S. and its allies over Ukraine, the Russian leader is willing to challenge Western interests like never before.
The pact that he signed with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un envisions mutual military assistance between Moscow and Pyongyang if either is attacked. Putin also announced for the first time that Russia could provide weapons to the isolated country, a move that could destabilize the Korean Peninsula and reverberate far beyond.
With its new pact with North Korea, Russia raises the stakes with the West over Ukraine
Ukraine sends over 30 drones into Russia after bombing of Kharkiv leaves 3 dead and dozens injured
Monday 24 June 2024 09:38 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Russian authorities said more than 30 drones were shot down over the country’s western regions overnight into Sunday, just hours after a Russian bomb attack on Ukraine’s second largest city of Kharkiv killed three people and left dozens in hospitals.
One of the four aerial bombs hit a five-story residential building on Saturday afternoon, officials said. Regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said 41 people were still being treated for injuries.
In a video address following the attack, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged Ukraine’s partners to bolster its air defenses.
Ukraine sends over 30 drones into Russia after bombing of Kharkiv leaves 3 dead and dozens injured
MoD issue ‘myth-busting’ Nato video after Farage comments on Ukraine invasion
Monday 24 June 2024 09:08 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
The Ministry of Defence has published a myth-busting video denouncing the idea that Nato is “encircling” Russia, just a day after Nigel Farage doubled down on his claims that the West had “provoked” Vladimir Putin into invading Ukraine.
In a 31-second clip posted on X, formerly Twitter, the MoD’s video presented the idea that “Nato is encircling Russia” as a myth, before writing that Russia is the largest country in the world and that “it is hard to encircle a country with 11 time zones.”
“Only 11 per cent of Russia’s land border is shared with Nato countries,” a message in the video showed.
MoD issue ‘myth-busting’ Nato video after Farage comments on Ukraine invasion
EU has solution to use frozen Russian funds for Ukraine, Borrell says
Monday 24 June 2024 08:39 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Monday said he would put forward a proposal on how to avoid any member state blocking the use of proceeds from frozen Russian financial funds to support Ukraine.
“We have a legal procedure in order to avoid any kind of blockage,” Borrell said before a meeting of EU foreign affairs ministers in Luxembourg.
Russian strike on Odesa injures three, Ukraine says
Monday 24 June 2024 08:19 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
A Russian attack on Ukraine‘s southern city of Odesa struck civilian infrastructure and injured at least three people on Monday morning, regional governor Oleh Kiper said.
A 19-year-old boy and two middle-aged men were taken to hospital, Kiper said on the Telegram messaging app.
Ukraine‘s interior ministry published pictures of a massive cloud of smoke rising from the site where emergency services were working to put out a fire.
The air force had warned the city’s residents of the threat of incoming missiles before the explosions sounded.
Odesa has been a frequent target of Russian forces in the 28-month-long full-scale invasion, with many attacks aimed at the city’s port facilities. Russia denies targeting civilians or civilian infrastructure.
EU must step up against Russia’s hybrid attacks, Lithuania says
Monday 24 June 2024 07:54 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
The EU has to step up its actions against Russia‘s hybrid attacks, which it is also escalating inside NATO countries, Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said on Monday.
“We have to be very clear what we are going to do about it, and unfortunately I don’t think that we are sending the right message yet,” Landsbergis said before a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg.
“Moscow must get a clear message that whenever they escalate they will receive an answer from our side.”
Dagestan attack: 15 police officers and a priest dead after gunmen open fire in Russia
Monday 24 June 2024 07:29 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Gunmen opened fire at a synagogue, an Orthodox church, and a police post in Russia’s North Caucasus region of Dagestan, killing at least 15 police officers and a priest in what seemed to be coordinated attacks on several places of worship in Russia’s southernmost province of Dagestan.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks in the volatile North Caucasus region, according to the region’s interior ministry.
“This is a day of tragedy for Dagestan and the whole country,” Sergei Melikov, governor of the Dagestan region, said in a video published early on Monday on the Telegram messaging app.
15 police officers and a priest dead after gunmen open fire in Russia
Video of Russian soldier’s execution shows ‘pervasive brutal culture’
Monday 24 June 2024 07:12 , Arpan Rai
A video showing a wounded Russian soldier being shot dead by his own side shows the “brutal culture” within the Russian Armed Forces, according to a US-based think tank.
Undated footage was shared on social media platforms over the weekend of a Russian soldier, wounded by a drone strike, motioning to a comrade to help him out. Instead the other soldier, within seconds, kills the wounded soldier with a gunshot at point blank range.
The video suggests the Russian soldier killed his fellow service member instead of attempting to check the soldier’s injury, attempting treatment, taking his identification tags, or attempting a casualty evacuation, the Institute for the Study of War said.
“The attempted or deliberate killing of a fellow soldier is unprofessional, and ISW has observed instances of Russian fragging (the deliberate killing of supervisors) and other anecdotes demonstrative of a callous disregard for the lives of Russia’s own soldiers throughout the war thus far, both within Russia and amongst Russian troops on the battlefield,” it said in its latest assessment,
Fragging is “generally indicative of extremely poor discipline amongst troops, a disconnect between tactical level commanders and their subordinates, as well as a blatant disregard for human life,” it added.
The casualty has not been confirmed by the Russian ministry of defence. The Independent has not verified the time, location and the authenticity of the video independently.
In another incident on Saturday, a Russian military blogger confirmed that commanders of various Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR) units are severely mistreating their wounded subordinates and alleged that the 1st DNR Slavic Brigade (1st DNR Army Corps) is holding its own wounded personnel in prison-like conditions in Donetsk City, instead of providing them with the treatment that they require, the ISW said.
“Both the fragging incident and the milblogger claims against the DNR command are indicative of a very poor culture within the Russian military, particularly the command’s disregard for their subordinates and a generally low level of discipline,” it added.
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